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Kronwall was fine as a #1. Ideally, your top guy will be well above average as both a puck mover, and defensive defenseman. Kronwall was certainly that. Plus he logged an absolute ton of minutes given all the injuries as well as the growing pains associated with having a lot of young d-men on the team. I don't think this last part can be overstated. Not only did he have to transition into the top spot, but he had to do it without having a supremely capable second pairing.

Obviously he's not the best shutdown defenseman in the league or anything, but I don't think there's too many all around d-men who are better at both ends of the ice.

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Well first off, I'm kinda holding out some hope that we can bring in a top 4 D-man via trade (since we have such a surplus of fowards). Not exactly expecting it, but got my fingers crossed. As for Nick jr, he's obviously no Nick Lidstrom, but he seems to have what it takes to be a number 1 guy. Looked pretty good in his first season as #1, and likely he will only get more comfortable with that role as time goes on

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I think he did ok. Not great, but ok his first year as our #1. He had a lot of ups and downs last year...and i started a "Kronwall is a #1 Dman" thread during the lockout i think it was. I wonder how close all of our predictions were from it?

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Guest The Axe

Guest The Axe

I think he did ok. Not great, but ok his first year as our #1. He had a lot of ups and downs last year...and i started a "Kronwall is a #1 Dman" thread during the lockout i think it was. I wonder how close all of our predictions were from it?

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Kronwall is a #1 d. He is not top 10 in the NHL though. We just got spoiled by having at least one guy seriously considered for the Norris every year since Folgers was here. Coffey, Lidstrom, Konstantinov, Murphy, and Chelios were all fantastic players and Kronwall just isn't in that class. That doesn't mean he's bad it just means he's not Hall of Fame material.

And yes, I know Vlad won't get there, but if Gnida had waited until later to get baked, he would have gotten there.

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By the definition that some have here of what constitutes a #1 defenseman, there are substantially less #1 defensemen than there are teams in the NHL.And? There's a reason number 1 defenseman are a premium, not everyone has one.

There are probably a couple dozen, and sometimes a team gets 2 at once. Suter and Weber in Nashville, Lidstrom and Vladdy, Lidstrom and Murphy, Lidstrom and Chelios when he first got here.

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Kronner isn't a true number 1 and he showed it last year with struggles with turnovers and play in his own end. That said he stepped it up defensively in the playoffs at the sacrifice of his offense. Was he injured btw? Either way despite not being a true number 1 I still like him and we have him on a reasonable contract. I also believe we can win a cup with him as our number 1 or 2 guy. I think Danny D has the potential to be one at least in his own end. He quietly played amazingly for a rookie.

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Kronner isn't a true number 1 and he showed it last year with struggles with turnovers and play in his own end. That said he stepped it up defensively in the playoffs at the sacrifice of his offense. Was he injured btw? Either way despite not being a true number 1 I still like him and we have him on a reasonable contract. I also believe we can win a cup with him as our number 1 or 2 guy. I think Danny D has the potential to be one at least in his own end. He quietly played amazingly for a rookie.

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